The Integrity of Waiting . . . Not Worrying, Part 3

Even when it's painful God's way is always got you this way sometime this way is a very painful painful way this case, Judah will fall Jerusalem will be sacked to the ground.

The people will be brought to Babylon new culture, new language unknown people bearing country. God knew what was best about huge burden for Judah and in the Old Testament book that bears his name were given colorful details about his leadership today on Insight for living Chuck's window will show us how the prophets confidence in God is a model for us all, sometimes are most sincere prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling.

But in this passage will discover that even during the silence. God is working out his perfect plan will begin with a summary from yesterday.

Esther continues to describe the integrity of waiting not worry about it.

So burden he decides to write it out. Pieces must live for ever see these evil deeds. Why must I watch all of this misery wherever I look I see destruction and violence I'm surrounded by people who love to argue and fight, that's all like the day go all Lord you I can't figure you out. I can't see good coming from such a source of evil. I can't see how invading our nation will be best for us. But how can you give them another nation for them to brag about conquering and we are your chosen people, so I'm going to look at it. I want to climb up on my tower I'm going to stand quietly and I am going to us a novel thought I'm going to wait and listen. Here's the integrity of waiting, not worrying at this point. Habakkuk left it in the Lord's hands and now the Lord takes over and began to describe his game plan and goes into it carefully as he spells it out. I want you to especially move down to verse four. This is the most important verse in Habakkuk 24 look at the crowd. They trust in themselves and their lives are crooked look at the next part of the verse, but the righteous one will live by faith will trust in me, he will live by faith God went on to say to him. There's more to my plan. I will wipe out the Chaldeans ultimately I'll bring the people of God out of captivity in you become again a nation you will ever learn the lesson. My plan will run its course. So Habakkuk realized I must let God be God. As I stand back and wait for him to work now. I must say that it sounds like a cliché you've heard in most of your Christian life. I'm going to stand back and wait for God to work so I decided to put that into statements simple one line statements. There are five of them five statements. I'm so firmly convinced that they will help you from this day on what you do find a place in your Bible for you've got a blank sheet of blank piece of of of the Bible paper look for it there.

Maybe it's at the end of Habakkuk you have a little space to write these will be statements we embrace as we claim faith in our sovereign God you still want to live like that.

I want to believe like that I want to have that kind of worry less faith and trust in my God, I'm tired of talking about it.

I want to go there.

I want to make that a reality. Here are the five statements please write them down ready God is able. I am not that statement one just write it on the first line God is able.

I am not is nothing a biker could do to fix his day to change people around was a great day of my life and I realized I can't fix anybody but I serve a God who specializes in that he's able. I am not God is able. I am not. Here's the second he knows what's best. God knows what is best.

I do not know because were proud people we think we do is why we keep doing what we think is best and we make a mess of things. So when we embrace a life of faith and put our trust in the sovereign God we say to him God. You know what is best.

I do not I do not.

I'm waiting for you to do what's best. Here's the third he sees the and from the beginning. I cannot, God sees the end from the beginning he sees it all. I cannot that's called being infinite and we are finite. He knows how all of this is going to work its way out.

He knows all the answers.

At the back of the book. No problem is solved to him we live and on to solve the problems we can see other going to work out he sees in all so this is third. He sees the end from the beginning.

I cannot number four. He should have his way. In this I should not he should have his way in this situation. I should not know what I thought about what I came up with the fourth line of thought of the prodigal's father let his boy go he could and probably couldn't predict what was going to happen even though it is much older than his son.

He let him go. Let him go because God should have his way in this he should not parents cling when you know how to release most of our worries revolve around our adult children or younger ones would often when they get older things a complicated they they act on their own and we often disagree with their decisions is not going to change an adult child. You try used to make them angry. I avoid this elective charge for this no extra charge. We will take an extra offering because I'm giving you this anytime you offer unrequested advice you make things worse. So would you agree with me that we stop doing that if they want our advice. The last four they don't ask and I know you have this vast amount of wisdom that you were just waiting to jump or at least squeeze out don't don't God should have his way, and sometime his way is a very painful painful way, as in this case, Judah will fall Jerusalem will be sacked and burned to the ground. The people will be brought to Babylon, never the solemn. We hung our hearts on the willow trees.

How can we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land. It was hard to go to Babylon new culture, new language unknown people bearing country. God knew what was best that so the fourth is he should have his way. I should not. In the fifth.

God must be glorified through this I must not God must be glorified through this I must not, I'll tell you, you memorize those five lines your life and change your life will change. You will find that there will be call in place of panic.

You will rest rather than living restlessly you will not search for a way to work it out on your own. You will back away and you will be comfortable leaving it with him. Even if the disease gets worse that all you know to do. It's his is in his hands. If it's is time for you to go you're going to go rest in that. If your adult son or daughter is way out of the plan of God. And you know that they're working against leave alone.

God knows what's best. He's going to be glorified and you won't be you must not be what's Habakkuk took his stand waited got that straight accepted it by faith, by the way, I should've said that all through the five lines, each one you do, by faith, by faith. It is remarkable what happens to you. You see by chapter 3. As I mentioned earlier, the man is now singing is now singing is letting God have his way. You want to use the Chaldeans breakable you want to wipe out this nation wipe it out. By the way, how about America, you wonder what his plan is to give you some upsetting news straight from the classroom at Dallas seminary from the mouth of the late J. Dwight Pentecost by hand went up in a seductive Pentecost you're considered one of the foremost authorities on eschatology future things study a future thing that I'm not sure Ozzie will whether or not you believe we believe so. I want to ask you. Now that we are about through with our study in Daniel and Revelation wears America where we he said frankly truck. It's awfully hard to find us anywhere in those future prophecies. It's hard to hear his know we think because were great were going to be great forever. I love this country.

I served time in the Marine Corps because I believe in defending this country we honor our veterans because of the same reason. I salute the flag and stand ramrod straight as I pledge allegiance to it, but were changing and it breaks my heart and I'm seeing the comment from Jerry Dwight Pentecost emerge God's plan doesn't revolve around the United States of America. Many people have an American theology but is not a biblical theology human to say I'm not saying were not thereunder saying we don't have a permanent place in the plan that will cut you down the size we need that and we need that Habakkuk you know her singing singing in chapter 3.

The man was just hurt his country is going to be invaded just hurt it's going to be the Chaldeans. I've heard all about you, Lord. Verse two.

I'm filled with all by your amazing word for your great heart as it is for me to hear it. Being a Jew right here in Judah as hard as it is for me to realize what's coming, your great you've never made your first mistake when I rest my case with you and I sing to you my praises and you read through this this last chapter, and you see nothing around Habakkuk is straight. He's changed. He's a different man because he's now gotten God and clear focus. The Lord God is the supreme being of his life and he sings his prayer to his God, you are able and I'm not you know what's best that I do not you know the end from the beginning. I cannot. You should have your way in all this, I should not and you must be glorified. I must not so praise God from whom all blessings flow.

This is your plan. It is not mine. He's a changed man. Verse 19 the sovereign Lord is my strength. He makes me as surefooted as a deer. I'm able to tread upon the Heights I began with Eugene Peterson's introduction.

Listen to the way he renders the end of this book, though the cherry tree's don't blossom ever strawberries don't ripen though the apples are worm Ethan and the wheatfields started those sheep hands are shapeless and the cattle barns are empty. I'm counting on God's rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength. I run like a deer. I feel like I'm the king of the mountain I'm on the top amount in the bottom of the longer because of the Lord, you are my God when I finish this study I just doubted my desk and I said Lord please burn these words into my heart make my wife and me models of those kind of followers of yours so that whatever we have to endure. It's all about you.

It's all for you so that we might live above it live beyond it and trust you through it.

Now if you do not know the Lord of this, this sounds like of what a gobbledygook. You may even think it sounds passive sound like somebody standing back with his arms folded up never known anyone who had us an accurate understanding of the sovereignty of God, who is passing it means that I am now trusting in my God and I refuse to worry when things don't work out my way all the inhabitants of the earth.

There is nothing he does according to his will in the Army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him you doing that's straight out of Daniel. For verse 35. One of my favorite verses you know what you're doing and you stop me in my tracks and I will wait and I listen and I pray so. If it is like gobbledygook to you. Obviously you've never come to the cross. You've never released your wills is you've never turned over your life. You never come to the Lord God or to his son as your Savior must take your bow with me please you listen so well listen even better now. If you're without the Lord Jesus Christ.

You don't have to keep the rules of the law.

You don't have to clean up your life you have to make 15 permanent promises to God you're not saved by works, he has done for you. What you cannot do for yourself is called grace. He has sent his son, who died for you so it's a simple prayer Lord God on lost. I've missed it in life.

But I need to what you have to offer.

I need your forgiveness. I clean your grace. I take your son, I turn my life over to you and I trust you for my eternal destiny. Thank you for forgiving me my sins, I take the gift.

Thank you. You've offered up a prayer you need to connect with us. Let us help you take the next few steps we want to help you know how to carry out that walk from earth to heaven in a is clear and simple way as we can will do that for you. Let us hear from you.

Or better still trust now.

Right now, Lord, we are all about before you and we acknowledge that you're able, you know what's best.

You know the end from the beginning. Your plan is far better than ours, you're going to be glorified. You're going to get the credit and we risk. Pray that anyone without Christ, your son, trust in the give us an afternoon of calm confidence in you are sovereign God as you do all things well in the name of Christ by previous everyone sent everyone said David powerful reminder. God is sovereign. He's in control even when we don't fully understand your listening to the Bible teaching of pastor and author Chuck Swindoll.

He titled today's message the integrity of waiting, not worrying. And if you're ready to dig deeper into the Bible to learn more about this topic I'll remind you insight for living provides interactive study notes for every message. Please take a few moments to review this popular resource. There's no cost to find all the details for the searching the Scriptures. Studies when you go to insight world.or will you often hear me say that insight for living is made possible not through the purchase of books and other resources, but through the voluntary donations of friends like you. We rely on your support to make these daily Bible studies with Chuck possible to give a gift today go to insight.org/donate those who support insight for living are truly making a difference. I was encouraged to read these notes from a few of your fellow listeners. One listener wrote insight for living has been my teacher for 15 year in a remote area. Now I'm an elder of a local church in Ethiopia. God bless you and another said I've been blessed by the teaching of God's word Zambia Africa and still another Chuck. I've only recently found you sound teaching is becoming hard to find. So thank you for just what I needed and this time in my life this coming from Australia, so thanks for making it possible to bring insight for living to people who are hungry for the truth and to live all around the world to give a donation today because listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 or give online insight.org/it's almost impossible to escape the pervasive news these days is everywhere in this volatile season insight for living ministries has continued to serve as a safe harbor for good news is celebrated. Many tell us that the Bible teaching from Chuck Swindoll provides a refreshing getaway from the chaos and confusion of our times with these daily visits with Chuck are made possible in part by monthly companions. We are inviting you to join this influential team of monthly supporters signed up today by calling us if you're listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 in this hospital meet first world people are craving, just one gentle with of God's goodness bring in would we respond today are simple act of generosity will be transformed into that irresistible sweet aroma of grace for someone. We may never meet this side of eternity become a regular monthly support by calling your listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 or go online to insight.org/monthly companions join us. When Chuck Swindoll describes the integrity of true humility Wednesday on insight for living.

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